some great short films to check out

amazon.com commissioned directors to do a series of short films for them. the theme is "karma". the original intent was for these films to be extended commercials for products available on amazon, but some of them are really good. the commercial part is that the products that exist in the film are listed in the credits so you can purchase them. clever advertising, i guess.

you can check them out here

my favorite so far is this week's "Do Geese See God". it is a great statement about the pace of the "rat race" of our society. take 10 minutes to check it out and make sure you stay with it to the end.

i had always wondered what happened to blair underwood.
ok, not really.
j

a quick uncommercial

I just want to add my voice to all of those who are encouraging people to abstain from the orgy of consumerism that will take place on the day after Thanksgiving.

Take a look at the "buy nothing day" site at adbusters. There is some creative and pretty funny stuff.

don't spend the day off with the brown mooing herd. enjoy life instead.
j

some books i've been into of late

over the last three or four months i have found myself reading and loving novelizations of some of the stories from the bible. before you run off to your favorite christian retailer, though, these are not "christian" books. they are honest and raw and, for the most part, probably wouldn't be welcome on the shelves of your church library (which is a ringing endorsement by the way).
i love the idea of these writers injecting their creativity into the material that already exists and coming up with a story that stays true to the source, but is expanded and richer and human and beautiful. i'm sure i will soon run across an example that i hate (it's inevitable really), but the three that i have read have all been worth recommending. the links will take you to amazon.com where you can get your own. enjoy.

Paul by Walter Jr. Wangerin

i just finished this today. it is a huge task, but a great look into the struggle that took place as the Church began to develop. it is the story of paul told by all of the people who populate his letters (timothy, titus, barnabus, priscilla, etc.) it also includes much of the biblical text from many of his letters and the sections of the book of acts devoted to paul. some of the characters are pretty cardboard, but others are really well done.

The Son of Laughter by Frederich Buechner

this is the one that got me started on these over the summer. it's the story of jacob and it is beautifully human and honest. everyone's faults are laid out and analyzed and it moves from comic to tragic easily. good stuff.

The Preservationist by David Maine
if you are just going to read one, make it this one. maine does an amazing job with the noah story. every part of the narrative is addressed and a lot of thought went into answering some questions that are really impossible to answer (i won't give away any more than that, you'll have to read it). it is a pretty quick and easy and fun read.

go read something (else)
j

cool moment

the kids' favorite CD right now is switchfoot's "beautiful letdown" and they are really into "meant to live" - the first track. we were taking caleb to school this morning when i heard nathan singing

we want more than this world's got to offer
we want more than this world's got to offer
we want more than the wars of our fathers
and everything inside screams for second life

i know he has very little idea what that means, but may God make those words the reality of his life.
and mine while we're at it.
j

final moments together

beautiful body of Christ
my body prays
bitter wine taste in my mouth -- your blood

the life of Christ inside

hugging smiling strangers of blessing
speaking beloved. . ..
peace. . .
may you see, feel, know. . .

hanging on tightly
for what?
life? hope? faith? love?

maybe just to feel another heart beat like mine
maybe to feel Your heartbeat

under the golden aspen rain

10/21/04
somewhere east of santa rosa, nm
thanks doug p. for the photo

happy birthday caleb

it is not possible that you are eight years old. i've said this before, but i swear i can see you growing as you walk down the hall. i am so proud of how you love people and work hard to include everyone and how hard you work at everything and at how big and important every little thing is to you. i love how you firgure things out and always want to know more. i love how proud you are of yourself in accomplishments great and small. i had no idea how much more beautiful my life would be with kids in it and you have led the way.

happy birthday buddy. i love you.
daddy

so i got this email a few minutes ago

Hello Families

Well, I am sure the subject line of this email has warned you that the content of this email would be very exciting….your dossier is on its way to China!!!!!!!!!!!! November 4, 2004 will be a very memorable step in your adoption journey. This is your DTC (dossier to China) date that many will ask about. Currently, families are waiting about 6 months or so for a referral.

6 months....we can do 6 months. God let it fly by.
j

yet another reason why i don't want to be called "christian"

Man tries to convert lions to Jesus, gets bitten

what goes through a mind?
j

my 2008 election wishlist

1. a viable third party candidate that actually can get on the ballot in oklahoma and force the two ruling parties to deal with real people. i propose forming the "not them" party that would carry a platform of fiscal conservatism and social responsibility. pipedream? that's why it's a WISH list

2. limits on campaign ads. can you imagine living in one of the markets that were hammered with over 12,000 minutes worth of bush / kerry ads? i'm j and i disapproved of all of them.

3. crush the 527s. no accounability or responsibility. unlimited funds. great bearers of smoke screens.

4. a conversation about issues that matter with more than promises offered. did you see the SNL skit about the first bush / kerry debate. the guy playing the moderator says something like "both candidates are aware of the rules. a question will be asked of president bush which he will then ignore and remind us all of 911. after a follow up, a question will be asked of senator kerry who will quickly remind us that he served in vietnam." -- that was 95% of the campaign "dialogue" in a nutshell.

5. a decision that does not involve the threat of lawyers, lawsuits, voter fraud, disenfranchisement, intimidation, and any of the other things that have have been a part of the last couple of elections (and probably far more i just wasn't paying attention).

my special oklahoma wish is that we could vote on state questions that are just about ONE THING and don't include phrases like "and other changes" without explaining what those changes might be.

ok, i'm really done now.
j

wow. ok then

so in the past 36 hours since the election day post i have deleted a number of comments questioning my sanity, intelligence, christianity, and integrity as a result of the "revelation" that i voted for president bush. i have been called all kind of things including "just another brainwashed braindead evangelical poser". (my personal favorite)

ok this is the fourth draft now. i have decided that i'm not going to defend or explain myself beyond what is said below. if it helps any of you to sleep better at night or not reject me as a person unworthy of the air i consume, know that at the end of the day, my vote in oklahoma mattered for exactly 0. like i said yesterday - with two bad choices in front of me, i went with the wrong i already knew. do i agree with the war? no. do i think bush favors the wealthy? probably. do i like being told based on the color of the day how afraid i should be? no. do i think bush represents a version of christianity that scares me a little? yes. do i think that john kerry represents a better option? i don't. see that's the thing, i wasn't looking for someone (anyone) different, i was looking for better and i didn't find it (or it wasn't allowed in oklahoma). feel free to disagree, but grow up enough to dialogue rather than call names.

the beauty of the Way of Jesus is that it allows for and embraces diversity. we are not jew or greek, slave or free, man or woman, emergent or evangelical, republican or democrat, brainwashed or freethinking for we are (should be) all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28 if you're keeping score at home).

do i think Jesus would have voted for bush? how could i know that? do i think Jesus would have called me a "dumbass coward"? ummm no. to scream dogmatically that any thinking christian had to vote for kerry is NO different than what pat robertson or jerry falwell said about bush. president bush isn't "my guy", he simply represented (to me) the better option of the two bad choices in front of me. (kind of like death by fire or death by death by hanging -- one's less painful, but neither are good)

anyway. enough. i said i wasn't going to defend myself, but i guess i have. please know that i'm not addressing everyone who commented or emailed me about the post and my decision, not even all of those who were anonymous in their comments, just the handful who felt the need to attack.

i'm just sad that yahoo news is already running an article about who will be president in 2008. wow.

peace (really)
j

random voting story

while standing in line today, i actually heard an adult use the phrase "no cuts". really. it made me want to invite the next person that walked by to get in line with me just so i could hear it again.
let this be a warning to all of you would-be voting line cutters -- they are watching and they won't let you get away with it.

can you tell i'm just sitting around waiting for kenda to get back from the polls?
j

what america and afghanistan have in common

in the afghani elections, results were delayed days in some cases because they were waiting for donkeys to bring the votes down from the mountains.
in today's american election, results will be delayed for weeks while we wait for lawyers to finish descending on states like florida and ohio.

in both cases, results are held up by a bunch of jack-asses.

sorry mom.
j

election day

i voted for the first time in 1980 in mrs hardy's fifth grade class at adams elementary in norman. i voted for president reagan because he seemed like a nice guy. if i remember right, he won our class in a landslide. since then i have voted for the republican candidate in every presidential election for a variety of different reasons. i guess this year will be the same simply because the other option scares me worse than "4 more years" (and in oklahoma we only get two options. we have the most strict regulations for thrid party candidates in the country. we can't even write anyone in. probably because our massive seven electoral votes count for so much.)

since my fifth grade choice seemed to work out pretty good, i deceided to ask my kids who i should vote for. i didn't limit it to only the two options (we had to pretend we lived somewhere else -- see above), but asked them if i could vote for any adult in the country, who should i vote for?

caleb -- (emphatically) -- "George W. Bush" (they indoctrinate them early in the humphreys clan)
hannah -- "you should vote for you" (a fine idea, although i'm not sure i support all of my positions)
nathan -- "Scooby Doo" (this may be better than my bill murray pick)

now if i can just get nathan to help me with the state questions.
off to discern the evil of two lessers.
j